Love your Journey

DIY Mail Organizers

2012-01-14T19:53:00.001-07:00

Clutter, clutter, clutter! Lately I have been simply fed up with all the mail and bills that collect on our counter top, desk top and windowsill..... yes our windowsills are unique and extra long which I though would be great for decorative things... hubby thinks it's a great place to store mail he would rather put off till tomorrow. Well too often tomorrow turns into next week or next month and I am left looking at that mess the entire time. Can anyone else relate???

So I needed a fix and I needed one fast. After searching a few stores and coming up with nothing I decided to search the wed for some home made ideas. I soon found that I was in good company and there were a ton of great tutorials available. I got my Mail Organizer Plan from www.imaclevermoma.com. click here to read her tutorial. She made her organizers from cereal boxes but I was looking for something smaller so I took her easy to understand instructions and applied it to a Kleenex box.

First I measure out the front. I drew a line 3cm down from the top of the box. Then again 3cm from the side a made a dot on the line I just drew.

I then drew a line from the dot to the top corner of the box.

Now simply cut along the lines. You can really do this part however you wish. It all depends on the look you are going for.

IMPORTANT: I did find that these boxes were a little flimsy when all was said and done. They definitely did the job but I did make some more, this time reinforcing them first and I liked the second ones better. So if it's worth it to you, take the extra time. All I did was take another box, cut it up and hot glued the extra pieces to the inside of my original box. I didn't take a lot of time to measure. Just eyeball it because you really wont see any imperfections at the end of it all. I just did the back, sides and front and didn't bother with the base.

Do a quick check to make sure you will have enough fabric to wrap into the box...

...... and along the side. At this point I marked the fabric where the four back corners of the box lie. This way I could always use the box as a reference.

I then measured from the box the the edge of the fabric on the right side and used that measurement to mark the left side.

Draw a line from that point to the top.

Now measure enough fabric to wrap up the front of the box. Obviously you do this by measuring the bottom and front face of the box, add it together and give a little extra to wrap over the edge.

For future reference I'll call this the tongue since it is the longest piece of fabric.

The sides can be cut on the line however from this point you will want to cut about half and inch away from the line.

You will need this extra fabric so make sure you don't cut on the lines here.

Your finished cut should look like this.

Now for the fun part. Begin gluing along the top.

Fold in your fabric.

Rap the sides around and glue along the edge.

You may want to leave this extra fabric for now. You may want to just fold it in and glue it or you may decide to cut it off.

Once I was ready to glue the bottom I first cut a notch in the corner.

Then glue the bottom. The photo above shows the left side of the box and the bottom shows the right side. Just in case that confused anyone.

Now glue along the inside of the line. Then quickly fold your fabric on the line. This will create a nice clean edge for the front of the box. All the cut edges will be tucked in :)

Now glue the bottoms and sides.

You should have extra fabric at the top so cut diagonally to the corners of the front opening,

fold them down and glue. This is where you had extra fabric on the top right and left corner earlier and I said to leave it. At this point, when you fold in the last of the fabric on the top you may decide to cut the underneath fabric or just fold it in with the rest. I did both, just depending; If it looked too bulky I cut the fabric. The only problem is you run the risk of having some frayed pieces sticking out at the top if you are not careful.

For the inside I cut some white card stock and hot glued it to the back sides and front.

My finished product!

I found some other really good ideas of how to make and display these organizers. Just click on any of these photos to view their original blog!

Dump Truck Birthday Cake and more!

2011-12-15T13:05:00.001-07:00

If you know me at all, then by now you know that I LOVE to make kids birthday cakes! This year for Kaden's birthday I made a dump truck.... and look, it's hauling candy! so cute. and so easy. I originally got this idea from Nat's niece but she forgot how she made it so she gave me a photo and I was left to scheme up the blueprint on my own.

This truck body is made up of two different cake sizes. I used a 9"X13" pan as well as a loaf pan. Note: I used three box cake mixes and divvied it up between the two. Both pans were pretty full and I was a little worried they would flow over but I wanted them to be thick so they would stand tall. It worked out great!

Once they were baked and cooled I lined them up so they were flush in the back and the big cake stuck out to form the hood.

I took a small pie shape sliver out of the top to separate the cab from the bed and shaved down each side of the big cake to line up with the dumping bed. At the hood of the truck you can angle it in just a little so it takes on the shape of a truck and not a box.

The hard part is over. Now just mix your icing to your desired color and paint way! I used Reeces Peanut Butter Cups for the wheels, Hershey Chocolate bar for the windows and chocolate Twizzlers for the exhaust pipes.

I had very little time to plan this party so everything was quick and easy to make. I got the idea for this Birthday sign from Pinterest. I just printed the letters onto card stock in different fonts and different colors. Cut them out and glue onto other card stock paper!

These yarn balls were supper fun to make..... a bit messy, but well worth it! I made a mixture of 1/2 Elmers Glue and 1/2 water into a shallow dish. Soaked the yarn in the solution and wrapped it around the ballon in all different directions. Let it hang to dry over night and then pop the ballon the next day.

I have always loved the candy bar idea at weddings so why not at a kids party!

I found these free printable labels on line but she had "cocoa" and "flour" on them so I put them into a program I have, white-out her labels and put in my own.

Alexia was very anxious to get at the cake :0

My little candy-holic!

Confessions of a Busy Mom

2011-11-14T12:32:00.001-07:00

Look at her! Her kids are clean cut and well behaved. Her kitchen is immaculate. Her hair is freshly done, she's in a pretty outfit and.... are those high heals? I bet her legs are shaved too. hump

That is it!! I am tired of the pressure of trying to keep a perfect house, be the perfect mom, be the perfect wife and still walk out the house looking like I'm ready for a photo shoot. Sadly I have no one to blame for giving me this over the top, impossible to achieve, expectation. Because really, we do this to ourselves. What is with our involuntary compulsion to compare ourselves to every other mom. And not in a healthy way that celebrates our differences and uniqueness as women. But rather we do it to either puff ourselves up to say "I am a better mom" or to knock ourselves to the ground and say "I am not doing good enough." And really, who out there is brave enough to show their true colors? Who will admit that when no company is expected, their house is a mine field of toys. And when you plan to stay home for the day your outfit of choice is the pj's you wore that night and your hair gets pulled back by any means necessary.

So here I am ready to break the Good Mom Myth and lay out my dirty laundry in hopes that someone out there will feel normal.

This last week was busy, really busy.... I was tired. My husband was not home for three evenings in a row. The kids needed a bath before bed and Lexi was not done eating. So what did I do. Fed her pizza in the bath tub!

Kaden is a clingy boy, but only if he knows I'm around to cling to. The minute he sees me he come barreling over determined to be held or played with. I really needed to get something done on the computer and I was tired of him grabbing at my pant legs and wining. So I got him interested in some toys in the kids room and I snuck out...... and shut the door. (gasp) Common! It 's not like I let him cry in there. It's just kind of like "out of sight out of mind." Kaden is none the wiser and I get a few minutes of peace.

And here is the doozy. I went out the front door yesterday to get the mail making sure I closed the door behind me. Alexia has not yet mastered opening the big awkward door knobs at the front and back doors so I was not too worried. What I hadn't counted on was that she apparently learned how to lock the deadbolt. Both doors locked. No keys. No phone. Crap! Luckily it only took a few minutes to get her attention by banging on the door and she understood that I couldn't get in. She played around with the knobs until she got the right one. Lesson learned.

So if you have any not-so-perfect moments please share with me. Help me end this façade and show that the best moms don't have it all together all the time.

Alexia half dressed and totally clashing.

Hiding from me in the the grocery store

falling asleep on the floor

Left this mattress on the floor for three days and the kids loved it!

Oh Peppers!

2011-10-12T21:32:00.000-06:00

I have been coming across a lot of posts on pintrest that have to do with buying foods in bulk, preparing them in some form or other and then freezing them for later use. The idea is that doing a large amount of work up front will save you time in the long run since essentially you would be able to just pull the meal of your choice out of the freezer and cook. I could use more time.

Also, as we all know, buying in bulk often saves on the pocket book. I could use some money.

But I really wasn't sure if I was ready to go all out and make 40 some meals in one day. So I procrastinated. And I still am.

However, I was recently at the Corn Wagon, which is a well known farm in my area that sells corn and other fresh produce at a ridiculously good price. I stopped in to get a few peppers which are usually 3 for $1.00. And these are good size peppers. Well my eye caught this bag.... seconds for $3.00!! I thought.... "Hmmm, I can do this."

So home I went with my big bag of peppers! According to the one-line-experts, all you have to do is cut and freeze! Easy enough. Found some great advice on how to prevent the pepper slices from sticking together. If you lay your slices on a cookie sheet and freeze them first before putting them in a ziplock freezer bag then they don't stick together when you go to get some for your next meal. Works like a charm.

Even did some diced... a lot more work but it is so nice to pull them out already diced!

O.k so the big question... was it worth it? I figured that, because they were seconds, there would be lots of mushy unusable sides that I would cut off and discard but to my surprise I hardly threw out anything. Most of them were on the smaller size and a little odd shaped but were extremely crisp and fresh. I measured every thing I cut and froze and I ended up with a grand total of 11lbs of peppers for $3.00. Do the math and that's $0.27 a pound. Compared to $1.49 at my local grocery store, I'd say that's a pretty good savings. And not to mention I probably saved myself 10 trips to the store just because my recipe calls for peppers and I don't have any!

And a little on the family!

I absolutely love fall. Bundled up with touks and sweaters, breathing in the cool crisp air!

That smile melts my heart every time.

Had to get a teeth shot for Grandma P!!

Alexia looks like she is off to school. Lord help me, I can't bear the thought.

Alexia mowing the lawn with daddy... so cute!

Such a big girl.

A Vacation with Irene

2011-09-07T07:09:00.000-06:00

As some of you know we just recently went to Killington, Vermont for a family vacation. Little did we know that Hurricane Irene was going to pay us a visit.

This video was taken just down the road from us. The rain began some time Saturday evening, real late. Sunday morning was a typical rainy day, no heavy winds so none of us thought much of it. Larry and Nora decided to head into town to return a redbox move and get a few groceries that we needed for the meals we had planned for our weeks stay. When Larry and his wife drove down this road there was a small amount of water running across. Nat and I went for a walk down this very road the morning after the downfall and saw the destruction. The road was literally taken out, right in front of a house, and there was no longer a drive way for them to get out of. Their cars sat on crumbled ground.

This photo I got off the web. It is of Rout 4 running between Killington, where we were staying, and Rutland, where Larry and Nora went for food that Sunday morning. They spent about 20 to 40 minutes shopping and came back to this road that was closed down due to the water damage. The gut-wrenching part is when they were crossing Larry told Nora that the road felt weird. It is believable that the water was already doing its work at that moment.

(I got this photo at the OnEarth blog off a post from Ben Jervey's who happens to live in the area. To see his amazing photos and videos just click on his name.)

Back at the cabin we had lost power shortly after we found out that Larry and Nora would have to spend the night in Rutland. Thanks to the Nat and his brother Nadon they damed up the creek in the back yard to collect water for flushing the toilets.

Ok this was really not my favorite part. We had to wash our dishes in cold creek water. I am one of those water-has-to-be-scolding-hot-or-it's-not-clean kind of girls. I just tried not to think about it and remind myself that I did survive seven months in Africa once upon a time.

Now this was a glorious moment! The next morning, after spending the first night in complete darkness, we were outside enjoying the outdoors, chatting it up with the neighbors when they asked if our fireplace was working..... say what??? The fireplace was gas not eletric! whoot whoot!!

Ha ha, who knew a gas fireplace could work as a stove!

Because of this state of the art worming device we were able to worm water for Kaden's bottles and and everyone got a worm bath..... well, they got a large pot of worm water; I'm sure you can figure out the rest :) But thank God we didn't have to wash our hair in the cold creek! The fireplace was even hot enough to cook a full corse breakfast! Primitivism didn't prevent us from living like kings!

Kaden was the only one who was able to have a full bath.

And he enjoyed it very much!

By Monday late afternoon Larry and Nora decided to abandon their vehicle and hike though the woods to be with their kids. They had a GPS which helped them keep on course and they walked parallel to the road that had been washed out. Once they were across Nat and Nadon met them to drive them back to our cabin. When they arrived we had worm water boiled so they could wash their feet. It seems ironic that they left a town with power, hot water, and plenty of food to join us with no power, and no idea when or how we were going to get out ...... now that's sacrificial.

This is us having dinner in the dark. Not that you can tell we are in the dark, with the incredible cameras on the market these days that have a flash that can light up the darkest corner. However, if you look close you can see a small flashlight hanging from the ceiling lights. THAT was our light.

This is a little more accurate!

Despite all the misfortune we had we were still able to have loads of fun!

(roasting mini marshmallows)

Walks

Goofy photo shots

On our way home we had to take Rout 4 out of Killington heading east, away from Rutland. That road was still not drivable. The road we took had been fixed enough to have a one way lane open, so between 6:30 and 7:30 traffic could come into Killington. Between 7:30 and 8:30 you could leave Killington..... that was US!!!!

This is a gas station we passed on our way out.

A truck sat in the parking lot of the gas station

while the flooding waters shifted and broke the pavement beneath it.

Passing all the destruction made me realize that our situation could have been so much worse than it was and my heart went out to all the people who were greatly effected by this tragedy. As we drove I simply had no words.

Frayed Fabric Flowers

2011-07-29T15:38:00.007-06:00

Honestly, girly girl is definitely not the words I would ever use to describe myself.... until today. I was browsing the web to find out how to make flowers out of fabric. I have boughten Alexia head bands with them and they looked easy enough to try. I found some tutorials and set to work. I literally made these flowers in about 10 minutes!! I was so excited I made three more and was filled with glee when we had an opportunity to wear them that very night. Is it possible that I have a girlish side that is beginning to ooze out?! And all because of a two year old!

Here is how to make your own frayed flowers

First cut your fabric 44 inches long and 1 inch wide. (FYI- I had scrap fabric that was only 22 inches long and they still looked nice so if you have some old fabric to use up don't be afraid to alter the measurements a little.)

Begin by folding the edge and secure it with a stitch.

Then start doing a gathered stitch along the edge. For those of you who are as clueless as I am when it comes to sowing, here is a photo of what a gathered stitch looks like.

Pull the thread so the fabric gathers and bunches up.... hence, a gathered stitch!

Twist and over lap the fabric into a flower.

Hold it securely and stitch from the back to the front and continue until you feel it will hold in place.

Sow on your button.

At this point you can sow the flower onto a ponytail hair bands, your favorite shirt or a hand bag or hot glue it to a headband or hair clip.

Once you are finished here is a easy way to secure your thread. I don't know if it is the best or most current way to do it but it's how mom taught me. Slide your needle through the fabric.

Wrap the thread around the tip of the needle a few times. Use your thumb nail to hold down the thread while you pull the needle the rest of the way through. I do this a few times just to be sure.

Have fun!!

Teapot Birthday Cake

2011-07-19T07:03:00.007-06:00

Want a fun cake idea for the little princess in your life? Check out this fun and easy teapot birthday cake I made for Alexia's second birthday.

I started with a round bowl like baking dish to make the pot and this fun mini bundt cake pan for the add-on's. If you don't have a bundt pan you can easily make the handle and spout out of fondant icing.

I started with making two bowl cakes and decided that I needed to add just a regular round cake to the middle to make the shape look right. You may need to do a little trimming depending on the size of your baking dishes. I use two cake batches between these three cake layers. I just used my favorite box cake mixes and you could use different cake flavors to add a little fun. I then used Betty Crocker pre-made icing to make life easy. These days, with two kids, it's all about quick and easy. The icing works great to level out any lopsided edges in the cakes.

I cut the top off the bundt shaped cake and used that as a lid for the teapot.

I then saved the circular portion to make the hand and the spout.

I covered the cake with plenty of icing. This way the fondant icing will stick and for those who don't like the taste they still could enjoy the traditional icing underneath. Just an FYI, most kids love ANY kind of icing and a few of the adult didn't mind it so fondant is not the worst thing you can serve at a party

To make the handle of the teapot I cut the circular cake in half vertically and horizontally.

I used the left over piece to make the spout, cutting it half yet again and stacking it.

Fondant icing can be very tricky so, once again, to make life easier you can buy pre-made fondant. Once I had the icing rolled out I used a small bowl to cut out an opening for the lid of the teapot. This gave definition between the lid and the rest of the pot. I now wish that I had cut some off the back because I ended up doing a lot of folding which doesn't look too smooth.

I saved some of the fondant to cover my add-on's

The fun part was using pink icing to decorate, create

and most important to hide all my mistakes! Again, using

pre-made pink icing from a tube.

I am realizing now his cake was harder to explain than is was to make so feel free to ask me questions! Happy baking :)

Our glorious yard!

2011-05-31T13:06:00.010-06:00

Thanks to all the wonderful people who have been helping us with our yard. This last month felt like a mad dash to get the yard done asap so we could enjoy it this summer and I don't think we would have even come close if it wasn't for all the helping hands we had. So a HUGE thank you to everyone involved!

Uncle Leon tilling.

One evening as Nat, Pops and Uncle Leon were putting up the rest of the fence, they suddenly found themselves caught in a storm. It started out as a worm evening as usual. I was inside changing the kids and getting them ready for bed. It sounded like a sudden rush of rain had come on the house so I glanced out the back door just in time to see a large branch fall from above onto our porch. I got up to make sure the door was unlocked (I have a habit of locking all the time) and saw these three grown men running for the house as if their lives depended on it!

This branch fell in the neighboring yard, just a few feet from Uncle Leon's truck.

Finally, last night, the sod arrived!!

We had more help than we knew what to do with!

The ladies watching the men work.

AHHH, enjoying the finished product.

Before

After!!

I am absolutely thrilled!!!

Stay tuned to see my very first flower garden. This could be interesting coming from a girl who can hardly keep a house plant alive.

2011-05-20T12:10:00.014-06:00

Digg'n trenches, digg'n holes, moving dirt, filling trenches, level out, pouring concrete, filling holes! A lot of hard grueling work is going into turning our backyard from a danger zone into a comfortable play area for the kids, Hubby and myself. To be honest I love this sort of dirt-under-my-nails and blisters-on-my hands kind of work. Most nights I couldn't wait to put the kids in bed so I could be out side for the last stretch of daylight to help.

No time to waste! My little girly is too

eager to sit and wait for the grass to grow!

Alexia had to put in her share of work too. It was comical to watch her try to handle that big rake all by herself. And I think this sweet little girl is teaching her daddy a thing or two. Not just how to level out the ground but also how to enjoy doing tasks at a more leisurely pace. In other words, Alexia is the only one who can interrupt this task-oriented-man without getting a look that says "don't bother me".

And here we have our brother-in-law, Ken, cutting bricks.

And hubby is laying bricks. focus hun!

I guess the hole endeavor tuckered Kaden out as well!!

2011-04-06T13:18:00.003-06:00

Oh Happy Day!! We are getting a new yard and I can not tell you how excited I am. Actually, if you live within 100 Kilometers (62 Miles) 0f me than I probably told you already! There is nothing I love more about summer than having friends over for a barbecue!!! (aka cookout... for my America friends!)

And the best part is my munchkins can play out side

cause we are also getting a fence!! Hooray!

This little lady is excited for her yard too! she has been chanting "out side, out side, out side" all day.... every day! Although, she is going to have to get used to the idea that she doesn't have to wear a touk (again, for my American readers, beanie) any more; most mothers can't get their young ones to keep hats on.... I can't get my little angel to take hers off!

Finding time

2011-03-29T11:19:00.022-06:00

I had to post this photo because it perfectly depicts the theme of our lives.

We kicked off the beginning of sumer by taking our first family outing to the park a few Sundays ago. It was a little nippy out still so Kaden stayed snuggled up in his worm balnkie!

Alexia had a blast exploring this new idea of one large toy! She had the same routine... climb the stairs, go through two tunnels and then make the difficult decision between two different slides.

In the end this slide became her ultimate joy and my ultimate scare! As Lexi made her way for the opening my husband, who was standing guard on the other side, yelled out "honey... go... catch her!" Apparently the first time Lexi tested this new slide, without hesitation, she flew down on her belly! And when I say flew, I am not over exaggerating because Nat had to run from one side of the slide to the other just in time to catch her in mid air! He turned her in towards him expecting some tears. She had a big grin from ear to ear and motioned to do it again!

O.k, as promised, here is my house hold decoration for this post. I love candles but this tea-light is lacking in decorative brilliance. So here is what I did with it!

I wrapped the midsection with metal wire, which can be found at any hardware store, and then placed it in a glass dish with white dry beans I bought at the grocery store. That easy! However I did use crazy glue to hold the wire in place but I learned that crazy glue does not hold up against the heat (who would have thought.) so I can't light them.

Who every heard of Modpoudge?

2010-10-07T11:38:00.017-06:00

Since I have never dabbled in the world of crafts I was intrigued with the idea of decoupage. You can past any photo or fabric to any object! I got this photo idea from a site called Do-it-yourself: Ideas for your home and Garden. The possibilities are endless!!

I turned some of our family photos into an intriguing wall display by showing them off in vintage silver pieces.

First I found some old silver trays at the Goodwill Store.

Then I printed off some photos in black and white and cut them to the size of the tray. You could also scan original photos into your computer and then use image-editing software to resize, crop, and change the color. Then I mounted the prints onto these plates by putting a coat of Mod Podge, which is a all-in-one glue, sealer and finish, on the bottom of the plate. I did this using a sponge brush. After securing the photo and letting it dry, I added another thin coat to seal the photo. I found that the sponge brush did show brush strokes when looking closely but once they were on the wall you could hardly notice.

If you would like a more descriptive explanation of how to decoupage check out this site. http://www.doityourself.com/stry/decoupage

Now onto our latest home renovation! We found this little door in the bathroom to be quite interesting. And we found the little closet that it led to, to be even more interesting. It's an oddly shaped room that you have to duck to get into and you can only stand at one end since the celling slopes down. (I can't count the times I hit my head already) We were puzzled as to how we were going to utilize this tiny cubbyhole. Many of our family and friends joked that we could use it as a prayer room since kneeling was the best option when enjoying its modest square footage.

We finally decided to turn this tiny prayer room into a linen closet. Not that I am against praying but I really needed the closet space. Nat even had a shelf built for his work clothes so he could get ready for work in the morning without having to wake me. Plus I get more dresser space for my things!! What a sweet husband I have :) Thanks goes out to our good friend Larry Mast who helped us install these shelves and the ones in Alexia's room. I never though I would say that shelves could improve my quality of life. Oh the things we take for granted.

I have recently had the joy of taking up a new baby sitting job. This is Rabecca, the daughter to one of Nat's cousins. She is with us for three days out of the week and she has given Alexia and I a good taste of what it will be like to have another little one around. We have both adjusted well to these hectic days which makes me all the more excited for the arrival of Zook Jr.

I can already tell that Alexia is going to be my big helper in the house when the new baby comes. She is always trying to give Rebecca her soother or bottle. And when cousin Zane is over Alexia is sure to comfort him when he cries and tries to give him his sippy-cup.

And might I add she is very persistent!

2010-09-15T13:22:00.012-06:00

I was floored..... just floored! I know every mother says she was bigger in the belly with the second child than she was with the first but ....... no, not me! At 28 weeks in photo #1 I had a cute little bump and I could still fit into my pre-pregnancy jeans! Not bad considering my favorite food was potatoes smothered in butter and sour cream, candy, ice cream and lots of chocolate! Photo #2..... humph! I eat lots of veggies and fruits, I have no desire for chocolate, and I exercise every day... and that doesn't include running around after a one year old all day. Yet, some how, at 28 weeks I am measuring 30 weeks in the belly and I already weigh the same as I did with Alexia just before I delivered her. It's a mystery!

And this would be the sweet little thing that is causing all my grief!

Life is Changing..... again!

2010-08-20T08:45:00.009-06:00

Welcome to our new home!! A place to rest and rejuvenate..... or so I thought! This newly remolded home is beautiful however underneath it's stunning construction lies many hidden projects. Some are a necessity like shelves in the closet, some devised by my husbands need improve, improve, improve! I can't complain too much, I am getting a bigger pantry out of the deal! But that will come later.... my first project was to paint the ugly yellowish-tan looking walls. Not a terrible color really, but on every wall?? yuck.

My biggest challenge was the kitchen walls.

Who am I kidding.... every wall was a challenge. Except one wall in the kitchen.

The dark green was easy. Picked the color. Painted. Loved it instantly!

The lighter color..... that's a different story. I went through three different colors before I found one I liked. One color I chose looked like a aqua blue when I put it on the wall. How I went from green to blue I will never understand. I don't know much about tones in paint colors. I had to do this all by trial and error.

Some errors worked in my benefit. The cream I chose for the living room wall was too light but it ended up being perfect for our bedroom. I found another color for the living room in a darker cream but I was a little skeptical when holding up the color swatch. However, once it was on the walls I actually liked it. It also took me two tries to get the red I wanted..... Like I said, choosing paint colors in not my forte!

But in the end I was very pleased with my colors!

My advice...... buy EVERY color in quart size and try it on the wall first.

A big THANK YOU to these three ladies as well as

Jessi Kauffman for helping me with this big job!

FINALLY!! My dream has come true. I got to through a birthday party for my first child! If you didn't know already, I love to plan parties and when I do I like to make them BIG. When I was setting up for Alexia's party my husband said these words "You'd think this was Lexi's wedding!" My response was "You don't want to see me at her wedding!" What can I say, I love to cook (especially cakes for children) , make decorations, and I love to entertain and see people having a good time :) Now, I'm no Martha Stewart...... as you can see from my struggles with choosing a paint color for my walls! I really don't have an eye for color combinations but that is not going to stop me from trying. You just learn. For instance, I originally had candy bowls with different colored candies to match the pink, yellow and teal pom-poms I made. Once I set it all out, a few days before the party of course, I realized that with the pom-poms and the cake there was way too much color involved. So I opted for just red candies instead.

I think these pom-poms were the funniest and easiest decorations I have ever made. I got the idea from a friend who had a party and had white pom-pom's from a Martha Stewart kit. I looked on line and found a site that explained how you could make them from tissue paper. It was supper cheep and took me no time at all! If you would like to give it a try click here to learn how.

I must say I had high hopes for this cake. It was a lot harder than I though it would be and it nearly took me all day to make it.... but it sure tasted good!!

I'll never forget the moment we all sang to the birthday girl. Her eyes light up and she smiled real big.... she just new this was all for her!!!

Alexia's three little buddies who joined her for her celebration. Us ladies must have spent 20 minutes taking photo after photo of these precious faces!

Alexia trying out her new sippy cup.... I can't believe it has been a year already.

We ended the nigh off with some fireworks! What a show :)

A Forty Day Fast- A week late!

2010-01-11T07:58:00.014-07:00

Our home church here in Quarryville, Pa is doing a 40 day fast for the month of January. Nat and I were in Ohio when the service was given so we found out about it a week late. We could fast from anything, whether it be food, entertainment, or simply the internet, the idea was to find something we really love and chose to give it up for 40 day in order to align your heart with Gods. Not that we have to permanently remove these things in order to be loved by God but rather as a way to say "God, I want to sacrifice this so that I can hear your voice better". It is our way of showing how much we WANT to hear God. Having said that I am not much for fasting, mostly because I love food too much, but for some reason I had a desire to jump on board with the rest of the congregation. And since I often go without internet and T.V because of my demanding, yet beautiful, daughter I felt these two choices wouldn't be much of a sacrifice. humph, I guess it's food then. Only one meal a day though.....common! It has only been two days and I feel like God is going to do some big things. God's love is meant to be shared so that is why, agents all my comforts of keeping my spiritual live private, I am going to publicly share what God is doing in my heart during these days of fasting. I just hope and pray that you will somehow be blessed through it.

JAN 10th- Giving In

Sunday was my first day to fast and I chose breakfast to be my meal to sacrifice. That morning during the service I was thinking about how my husband has been spending so much time ice skating and not enough time with me..... well, at least in my opinion! Nat was trying to show love to me because he knew I needed it. I was rejecting it because of my negative thoughts toward how I felt he should be spending more time at home. I felt God whisper in my ear that when I refuse to receive love from my husband I am really refusing to be loved by HIM because He wants to love my through my husband.

JAN 11th- Are we Loved?

This morning I put on my fav song by the David Crowder Band call "How He loves Us". I found myself overcome with the realization that God loves me! And not because of who I am or what I have done but simply just because. And I started thinking of how all of us as humans want to be loved just because we are who we are. I believe this is what God wants all of us to know. HOW MUCH HE LOVES US!! No matter what we did wrong or how bad we messed up He just loves us. And we don't have to try to earn His love. We don't have to try to be good parents, or a good wife or be kind to our neighbor. Although it's good to try, yet if we don't or we miss the mark there is No condemnation. No "you gotta do better next time". No "close, but that wasn't quite good enough. And no "I'll start loving YOU when YOU love Me back".

JAN 12th- You Never Let Go.

As I sat to spend time with God this day I put on yet another David Crowder song. This time it was "You never let go" that struck me. Realizing that God truly never lets go of us I couldn't help but think of all the times when it didn't FEEL like God was hanging onto me. I also though of many of you who might be feeling like God is gone and not holding onto you. I asked God how He would answer that question. Not that I can give a perfect translation of God's voice but I felt like He said that if even just ONE person is praying for you than He is still holding onto you.

JAN 13th- Silence

I am struggling to hear form God today. Maybe it is because I am dreadfully tired or maybe it is because I have a terrible attitude. My thoughts today have revolved around a hurtful act done by a friend of mine some time ago. As I dwelt on my feelings of self pity I though of how God must feel when we hurt Him. We can shake our fists at Him, blame Him for every thing, even though it was most likely the result of our own stupid choices, and we can out right curse His name yet He is ready and waiting to forgive us and restore our anger for joy. What amazing love that I can't not fathom.

Jan 14th- Help me!

This morning I was praying for random people. I felt that the people I was praying for need some sort of help from above. It brought brought me to the passage in Daniel 3:8-27 where Daniel's friends were thrown into the fiery furnace yet instead of being consumed by the fire, Jesus came and was with them and protected them..... even the hairs on their heads! How amazing is God that when we are going through hard times He is always there for us. And being there for us does not always mean He will put the fire out, for it is IN the fire that He makes us stronger, but He does promise to protect us.

Jan 17th- Getting ready

In church this morning someone shared an encouragement they got from watching the movie "Facing the Giants". There is a part in the movie where an elderly man comes into the school to pray for all the students as he passes each of their lockers. At one point he is challenging the head football coach who was currently struggling to get his team to win a game for the last six seasons. The man told a story of two farmers who asked God to bring some rain but only one farmer went out and plowed and got the fields ready for the rain. The man asked the coach which farmer did he think had more faith that God was going to bring the rain. The coach answered "the man who got his field ready". He then asked the coach "which farmer are you?"

Jan 17th- Surrendering

This evening we were back at church to see a YWAM team that was visiting our church. During the worship I was asking God how I can get closer to Him. He asked where does my happiness come from? My thoughts went to Alexia. If ever I am down or upset with my husband all I have to do is pick her up and look into her eyes of innocence and my heart melts. It is good to find happiness in people. God did create relationships so that we could love one another and feel loved through that but it is not healthy to place ALL your happiness in any relationship. If everyone we loved was taken from us where would we be? Could we still love and worship the same God that we worship when our family is with us?

Jan 20th- Here Comes the Rain!

This morning I was praying and my mind kept wondering to a video that I am working on. You see, the local radio station out here is having a contest. You have to send in a video telling them how you got engaged. Names will be drawn for a week and the winers will get to go to A Weekend to Remember conference at the Hershey Lodge in Hershey, PA. Since the Lord loves to give us the desires of our hearts, and I REALLY desire to go to this conference, I asked that God would bless us with this trip if He wanted to....... I stopped there. How many times to I say "If you want Lord... do this"? I mean, it is good to say "Your will be done and I will except that" but so many times I don't just out right ask God for what I want because I am too afraid that He will say no. And if I get a no then I feel as though God has forgotten about me or does not wish to give me good things. Oh how I need to remember that God has only GOOD things for me and just because I want to go to this conference does not mean that it is best for me. So if I give it to God and trust that He knows what I need then I can be happy and feel loved no matter what happens. But I will chose to do what the man said in "Facing the Giants". I will get my field ready for the rain!!

Jan 26th- Pressing On

I am finding it hard to continue with this venture. Every time my tummy grumbles with discomfort I wonder why I signed up for this? Don't get me wrong, there is no doubt in my mind that God has been speaking to me, it just hasn't been exactly earth shattering. But I have decided that this is o.k with me for I know a little about God's character. When we willingly do as He is asking us to do He WILL bless us; a blessing, however, that may not be immediate or tangible. Jesus often talked about storing up treasures in Heaven. Perhaps it is true that when we obey God He stores up our reward in Heaven rather than giving it to us right away. But I have also experienced that God does bless us in the here and now. The only thing left for us to do is to choose to continue even when we don't see immediate results or blessings. So I will press on even when I feel like giving up.

Jan 31st

I have been struggling to understand why fasting is beneficial and why we do it. As I was talking with friends I realized that I am not the only one who had these questions running though my mind. Some times it is hard to believe that God is there and listening to us when we don't feel Him or see Him moving in our lives. It is so hard at this time to keep going and keep doing what He is asking us to do. I had a good conversation with Nat and a friend of ours in the car on the way to church about what it means to fast. They were trying to get me to see that it is not about what you fast or how you do it, but rather it is more about your heart and making the intention to spend time with God and listen to His voice. The fasting part is just your reminder to press in harder than you usually do. The idea is that if you are more alert you will pick up on more of what God is doing. He is always there we just don't always see Him because we are not looking.

Feb 1st

This evening I was having trouble sleeping and my mind kept going back to my high school days when I experienced a lot of hurt from a friend. I remember the day I decided I wasn't going to let myself get hurt anymore so I put up a wall. I think we all have a wall or two or three that we know is there. I realized last night that even though I put up that wall and tried not to get hurt I still managed to get myself into a few situations that caused me a great deal of heartache; even more heartache than the initial act that caused me to put up a wall. Who then, are we protecting ourselves or blocking ourselves from. It occurred to me that the only person I managed to successfully block out was God; the very person who Loves me more than anyone else. When I let my guard down and let God in He makes me feel loved and wanted. AND He helps me forgive those who hurt me therefore relieving me of the pain they caused me. So we let down our wall- let God in- He trades our sorrow for joy- eliminating the need to put up a wall!

Family Life

2009-09-28T12:18:00.008-06:00

You would think with a new baby, mom would slow down and spend some days at home adjusting to this new life but not when that mom is me and that mom is married to Nat Zook! Here we are visiting Mrs. Liberty while my good friend Michelle was in from Canada. Now I know your thinking we are nuts and though you may be right we are not as out of our minds as one would first think. I'm sure the mere mention of New York has your mind filled with thoughts of endless walking in a sea of people who have a destination in mind and will not wast a moment getting there. That may be the typical trip to The City That Never Sleeps but this trip, on the other hand, was quite the opposite. We sat on the boat to Liberty, sat on the bus to see the city monuments and sat in Central Park. It was a hole lot of sitting but a hole lot of fun!

A must have in New York is a street hot dog!

Looking back at photos of Alexia I can hardly believe how tiny she was. Here she is doing her famous supper woman pose for you. And, I might add, she looks particularly small in her HUGE diapers! Nat and I are going green with our kids tushies. We got the one size fits all cloth diapers from BumGenius. The only deal is that they were a little too big for her in the beginning.

But then I found the perfect shirt to fit the diapers!

Yes Alexia my love, your diaper does make your butt look big but you are the cutest, sweetest thing I have ever seen!

We had an awesome visit with my mom and sister! And yet another trip for baby.This time Washington! Watching my sister interact with Alexia reminded me of the days her and my brother were young. At age 14 I had a 3 year old sister ( The beauty in the above photo!) and a new born baby brother; both of whom I could not get enough of. It wormed my heart to see my sister form that same bond with my child.

I thought this was hysterically appropriate! Willit Run

Just had to stick that in there.... for no particular reason.

Nat has been busy training for this years Black Rock 125 mile bike ride. The three Zook boys completed their mission in 9 hours! Not bad boyz!! Nat and Nadon say the wives are going to do it with them next year..... we will see about that.

Life Is Changing

2009-07-21T10:45:00.004-06:00

Getting ready for the biggest change of our lives had me juggling every emotion known to man...... or pregnant women! (I think there are a few emotions only known to pregnant women that have not been named yet, cause I could think of what to call it!) As Nat and I set up the babies crib I don't think reality was sinking in yet.

Nat is blowing up tub getting prepared for the day our little one was due to arrive. Call me crazy but we have decided to have our first child at home. All natural. No pain killers. From what I was told and read about, having a water birth helps counteract some of the birthing pains. I can't really say that I felt a difference from the contractions inside the tub as I did outside the tub and I can't say that I would not have taken an epidural if it was available but I can say that I survived.

As thousands of women before me.

I could stretch out my legs with my back and feet touching each end of the pool. I never actually completed my birth in the tub. Because the tub was slippery and I had the urge to move.. a lot... the midwife suggested a different position out side the tub. She must have known what she was doing because in two more pushes Alexia was in this world!

Nat is giving all the birthing details to my mom on the phone as he admires his first child. As much as he hates it, I have to brag about my husband. I really don't know how I would have gone through the last few weeks without him. He has worked a full days hours and then comes home and relives me from my duties as a mom. He is even willing to get up in the middle of the night to attend to Alexia's needs.

This girls proud Daddy couldn't stop taking photo's of his precious angel

Yep! She is going to be a Daddy's girl!

Enjoying the peaceful moments

I have vowed to myself that I would do my best to enjoy every stage Alexia is in and not wish her months and years away. I know she will never be this small again and I want to hold onto every moment because before I know it she will be walking out my front door ready to start her own life. May God grant me the skills to prepare her for that day; and the grace to prepare me for that day!

Highlights of the last few months

2009-05-28T12:50:00.004-06:00

My husband who never quits working is helping his brother-in-law

add two extra rooms to their house.

Enjoying a camp fire and a outside dinner after the boys finished a hard days work.

Nat's younger sister got married!!

We love you Merv and are so excited for you both!

Went on a day trip to Cape May with our good friends!

We had our first garage sale. This would seem like to big deal to some of our friends and family out side of Lancaster County but if you lived here you would see this event in a different light. Garage Sailing is like the presents under the Christmas tree that get the kids out of bed at an ungodly hour in the morning. And I am not exaggerating by any stretch. There are tons of garage sales to choose from, every single weekend in the summer, and half of them begin at 6:00am. Did you catch that?! They open at 6:00am and you can be sure to find people arriving at 5:45 just to make sure then can get the first pick of the goods being sold!

The boys had a good time cooking buggers and hot dogs for our hungry shoppers

Nat surprised me with a camping trip for my birthday.

The coolest cake ever!

As many of you know Nat and I are expecting our first child. This unexpected turn of events has had us dealing with a number of emotions. First there was the initial reaction of shock mixed with giddy excitement. Then there was disbelief...... is this really happening. Once my belly started to show it was like..... "wow! I'm really going to be a mom soon!" Now that we have allowed time to let this joyous news sink in and become a reality in our minds we are getting increasingly excited about the arrival of this new life. I, for one am excited to get this squirming baby out of my belly and let my body function normally and I am sure Nat is looking forward to getting his mentally sane wife back! But more so we are looking forward to the laughter and joy our baby girl will bring to our home and we are grateful God has blessed us with such a gift. And I am grateful to have a man as wonderful as Nat to share this life journey with.

Nat being crushed by four delighted children who are oblivious to his agony!

One Year Anniversary Photos In South Africa

2009-05-28T11:14:00.009-06:00

First thing I did after entering South Africa was buy myself the best tasting ice cream bar known to man! I was introduces to these delicious treats by my good friend Ruth when we visited Israel in 2007 and I was delighted to find them in South Africa as well!

We enjoyed a few restful days at Mercy Air before the long plan ride home.

This place is an oasis for weary missionaries!

I was surprised by a beautiful bouquet of roses given to me by Ron & Barb!

Spent the day doing some sight seeing near Mercy Air.

This would be Nat looking over a REALLY big cliff. Seriously this photo does not do justice. I could hardly take the photo.

Sitting in the rain forest

Enjoying the view

Nat looking cool!

Another beautiful view at "God's Window"

Just a funky plant

Some gorgeous water falls

Went four wheeling and it was a BLAST!!!

Nat & I are using the practice trail to get used to the bikes.

Going over a really rickety bridge!

We came from the bottom and now we are at the top!

Stopped for a rest to enjoy a snake and this amazing waterfall.

Sitt'n in this fun tree swing/chair.

Gearing up for the ride back

After all that adrenaline of four wheeling we took a dip in the spring pools.

It was VERY cold, I might add!

Topped it all of with an amazing evening out for dinner!

Last days in Moz.

2009-03-30T04:54:00.006-06:00

In our last week of serving in Mozambique the internet was being less than cooperative so I am just going to recap on a few things. I spent some time with Alta preparing some crafts for her ladies ministry. Not only do the ladies learn to read and write in their native language, but they are also being taught life skills such as sowing, crocheting, beading, and embroidery. And let me tell you, these ladies are no amateurs. The embroidering they do could be sold for top dollar out here in the West.

In May of 2007, Nat brought the Jortosh team, who specialize in children's ministry programs, to Mozambique to help with the construction of his house. Aside from entertaining the kids, speaking at churches, building a school roof, and working on Nat's house, the team also donated 6 manual (none electric) sowing machines to be given to Alta's ministry. I followed up with Alta to find out how the sowing projects were benefiting some of the ladies in her program.

I met with Louisie and Isabelle who both are without any family. All the ladies were tough to sow by Gabriel, the man of all traits, who is featured below with Nat making windows and doors. The ladies are payed to sow clothing and bags for the school children at the ASAM school. They are also aloud to use the machines to generate their own source of income. These machines will remain the property of ASAM Ministries but are used only for the gain of the locals.

Louisie and Isabelle send a worm THANK YOU to the Jortosh team for sending them these machines. The income provides food and warmth for them in the difficult living conditions of the bush.

Some projects are used for the missions purposes such as school uniforms and book bags for the children and some are a way of teaching personal business skills. The women make things such as pillow cases, aprons and throws, all embroidered with the most beautiful designs. These are then sold to teams who wish to bring back souvenirs for their loved ones. The profit is given to the ladies so they can purchase more material to make more merchandise.

I also had the joy of helping the orphan girls make earring for themselves and their sponsors. These earrings made out of....... get this, coca-cola caps........ will no doubt be the next fashion icon in the Mocambez area of Mozambique!

Angelina made her two pair of earrings faster than I could put the finishing clamp on the sample earring I used to teach her how they were made!

We could tell her earring were well appreciated when Heather and I noticed Angelena dancing around in order to make the earrings bounce.

Nat spent most of his days in his glory...... working in the wood shop with Gabriel making doors and windows for orphan homes. A few years ago Nat began teaching Gabriel the trade of wood working because he saw some potential in this local man who was hired for some temporary work on the farm only to return to find that Gabriel had far exceeded the talents he has been taught....... this man has has wood in his DNA.

There are are two things I can't seem to escape these days, cutting hair and painting. Though I thought it would be more fun to paint Heather than the walls!

After a busy week Heather, Rick, Nat and I took a day off to head to the dam for a little fishing and sun bathing. We caught too much sun and no fish. Everyone is complementing me on my great tan. I tell them I got in one day and I had to pay a hefty price for it. I burnt myself so bad this day that I could hardly walk for two days without wincing in pain. I did find out about an interesting home remedy for a nasty sunburn. Water and vinegar! Thanks for the great advice Alta!

We docked to have some lunch and our bout driver lead us up the hill for the perfect spot with the most beautiful view.

Resting at Mercy Air

2009-03-25T01:18:00.002-06:00

Just dropping you a note to say we are still alive! We have been resting at Mercy Air for a few days before embarking on the long flight to Pennsylvania. Our flight leaves today in the pm and we will be arriving home on Thursday. I will have more photos of our last week in Mozambique as well as some fun things we did here at Mercy Air as soon as I get home. For now I am going to continue relaxing before the business of the west hits us once again.

A year to remember..... a day to remember

2009-03-15T09:14:00.008-06:00

Well, today marks a special day for us. We have survived our first year of marriage without killing each other! And to think that we made it to Africa for our one year anniversary; the very place it all began! We have loved being back here mostly because so many people here were a part of our lives when we began dating. How fun it was to tell them that we got married and are now having a baby. We have been told on many occasions that we are no longer children because now we are married with responsibilities. This coming from the people who are married off before they are even finished school.

Today was also a special day for many children in the Hundai area of Mozambique. If you remember the orphan packages we helped put together last week then like I promised, we helped hand them out today.

Since it is Sunday we joined the church for their service before handing out the goods to the children. Always, without fail, I am humbled each time I attend an African bush church service. To accompany the aching needs of the people there is an abundance of giving in their hearts. As I watch them one by one make their way to the front to offer gift I am perplex why we, as a nation of prosperity, have a difficult time parting with even our least valuable possessions. Though small in our perspective, these peoples gifts were undoubtedly huge sacrifices in their perspective. If money was not given then some sort of food was. This church is currently supporting 20 groups of siblings who were all orphaned.
Rick told the story of Noha and the ark using water jugs as props!

This precious child couldn't help using the jugs for her own entertainment....... and to be frank, mine as well!
This boy had an AMAZING talent of playing the drums. This moment, oddly enough, reminded me of when I was walking down the aisle to marry Nat. I so loved the sound of the African drums that I requested my good friend to play the bongo as I entered the church to be wed.

At the end of the service some more gifts were given and thanks was given to God. It was then the pastor explained that this was a gift for their guests. That would be us. How do you take food from people who hardly have enough food to last the week...... or day? And how to you turn down a gift given to you, which is only meant to show you how much you are appreciated?

As if the bundle of food wasn't enough, they had also cooked us a meal. Rise, which is much more expensive than their home grown suddsa, and beans. I have to admit that I love this meal! I'm not joking.

We were not the only ones blessed with a meal. The children in the churches orphan program also get a meal each Sunday after church.

Nat was entertained with a game of ball while waiting for the children to finnish eating.

Finally it was time to had out the goody bags!!!

The kids waited with great anticipation as they were told not to open their gifts until a snap shot was taken.

And the commotion began!!!! excitement was thick in the air!

This young man was all smiles when he realized that he and his

five brothers received a soccer ball.

This youngster got caught in the mob..... as did I!

The girls got some nail polish in their bags and of course I couldn't pass up the opportunity to have a little salon time with them.

Nat was amazed with this kids talent, and creativity. He was blowing thorough the hole of a pen lid and keeping this small pellet suspended in the air.

Learning Patience

2009-03-11T06:24:00.004-06:00

patience
noun
1 the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry

Being back in the bush of Africa, once again, I am reminded of how a simple task can, and usually does, take ten times longer than you expect it to. Coming from a society that is built on the expectation of quick responses and fast production, one must leave the normality of productiveness in the western hemisphere if one wishes to keep his sanity.

To give you an idea, here is a typical day here on the farm:

After our morning devotions with the ASAM Staff jobs are given out to every worker. On this particular morning, food needs to be delivered to two different locations; one being the ASAM school, which feeds 250+ students each day, and 7 students in a higher grade at a different school. Nat and I volunteered our time to do the job. Our first plan was to take Rick and Heather’s truck but then George, who is in charge of food distribution, informed us that the Isuzu would not carry the amount of food we had to deliver. This left us with the big flatbed truck but it was not as simple as loading it up and being on our way. There was heaps of sand in the back that needed to be unloaded; I’m not talking bags of sand that can be easily removed but rather piles of sand that must be shoveled off the truck by hand. A few hours latter, the sand is unloaded, the food is loaded and we are ready to be on our way. Since it had rain over that last few nights there were puddles of water to be avoided along the softened road leading from the farm to the highway. Suddenly, without warning, the ground gave way and we slid into the muddy ditch.

Nat and Matthew walked back to the farm to get the Isuzu and some rope.

When they returned some men began shoveling mud out from around the tires and some tree branches were cut down for traction under the tires. Planks of wood would have been nice at this point…… or better yet… a tow truck company!

It was a dirty job but someone has to do it! We sometimes give the locals a hard time about their work ethic, or rather lack there of, but these Africans often do jobs us clean-blue-collar-Americans would never do.

With the pull of the Isuzu and the push of six men we desperately tried to free the flatbeds wheels from the unforgiving mug below. Everyone pushed and pulled to no avail and we were left to think of another plan. By this time it was almost lunch time so I went with the truck back to the farm. Considering I was no use to the problem at hand, I thought I might make myself useful and cook some food for those who were actually getting some work done. By one ‘o clock the men were back on the farm and the truck was finally unstuck! It was released from the earths grip by the power of 20 men slowly, and with great effort, lifting the back end of the truck inch by inch until it was on solid ground. I would have loved to have had a photo of that but I guess it's understandable that none of the men helping were considering what a great photo shot this would make.

After lunch we took one small load of food in the Isuzu and delivered it to the school. The rest of the food was left to deliver the next day.

So, there you have it! A days work and only half the work actually completed.

We could complain about the rain and blame it for stifling our efforts to be “productive” but that would be to curse the very thing the locals need. Unlike us, who have irrigation systems and electricity to pump water to our crops, this nation is reliant on rains from the sky to grow their crops. This year has been a tough one due to an unusually dry rainy season. At this point the mission is able to provide food for 50 people through their “Work for Food” program. This program allows the mission to hire 5o extra workers a day who all work for the payment of food only. Women work a half days work and men work a few hours short of a full day’s work. This system provides food for the hungry without creating dependence on a free hand out to a person who is capable of working.

Each morning close to 200 men and women show up hoping for some work.

The tough job is only being able to choose 50.

A Trip to Town!

2009-03-07T04:48:00.005-07:00

I bring you good news! We finally got our luggage this Friday. We spent some time at the Chimoio airport while Dwight was taking Rick, Heather and Matthew for a flight over the farm. This was Matthews first time being in an airplane and he felt a little apprehensive mixed with a dash of excitement. I think there was more apprehensiveness than there was excitement but there was not time for Matthew to contemplate his decision. We met Dwight at the airport and he had the plane ready to fly. At the last minute he realized, with only Rick and Heather going, he would have an extra seat and invited Matthew to come along! It was one of those moments you are given an opportunity to do something that is a little scary and a little exciting and you hastily reply yes because you know this is a chance of a lifetime that may never present itself again. After agreeing to this precarious adventure your mind begins to process if you truly made the right decision. In the end Matthew was glad he went despite the head spinning he felt when he finally reach the ground again

While the gang was flying high in the sky Nat and I were waiting to hear of our luggage. The receptionist at LAM air was on the phone to Maputo and Johannesburg trying to track down our luggage. She finally located it in the Maputo airport as it was stuck in customs. We have no idea why and nor do we care! We are just happy to have our own cloths to wear.

After getting our luggage sorted out we all went to the market to by some essentials for the orphan program. For this years “Give a unique Gift” promotion one of the gifts you could by was a school pack for an orphaned child. Nat and I were helping Rick and Heather make the purchases for these packets to be given to 24 children who don’t have to money to go to school.

First on the list was buying a worm blanket for the child. While shopping in the market you have to remember that your white skin will automatically give you a discount… yes a discount that some how doubles in price!! To a savvy Mozambiquen businessman, a white person has too much money and no brains to hold onto it. Well this man has never met Heather before. She was told by Gorge, one of the local men who work for the farm, that $250 Mets (about $5 US) was a fare price. Even Gorge’s mouth dropped when Heather told him she got 20 blankets for $200 Mets each!

Next was buying capolannas, which are wraparound shirts for the girls. Heather and I had to model these gorgeous fabrics for the camera while Rick tried to hurry us along! I think it’s pretty universal that guys don’t like to shop with their wives so Nat and Rick kept each other company through their misery.

Just for fun we picked up some nail polish for all the girls.

At our last stop in the market, where Heather was buying the last of some t-shirts for the boys, we all sat down for a bit of a break. Rick jumped up and took the camera from Nat and said “ Go snuggle with your wife for a photo. Nat, without a word uttered, sat in between Matthew and I, wrapped his arm around Matthew and smiled for the camera! We all laughed at Nat's humorous gesture but not near as hard as we did when Matthew placidly said “ ARE YOU LOST, MAN?”

That’s better!

Each child will be receiving a maze bag to carry their meal maze, which is their main source of food, a water jug for hauling water from the community well, blankets, clothing, mandatory school supplies required for them to attend school, soap, tooth past and tooth brushes. As fun extras we added lotion, nail polish and some hair pins for the girls as well as cars, tennis balls and soccer balls for the boys. Join us next weekend as we deliver these gifts to some unexpectedly blessed children.

Photos at last

2009-03-01T10:04:00.004-07:00

While we still don’t have our luggage and still can not present our photos to you but we are lucky enough that there are other missionaries out here with a better knack for photo taking than me. I have borrowed a few shots from Heather who is now heading up the orphan department so you can see that we ARE actually working out here…….. while, at least I can say Nat is working. Unless you call taking photos, playing with kids and walking around the farm work, then I would say my productiveness has been limited. I have accomplished one task of typing out versus from the Showna (the local dialect) bible for Alta’s ladies ministry. She is teaching the local ladies how to read and write in order to raise the moral of the importance of a women in a community… and how much more beneficial, an educated woman!

The first job was installing windows and doors in a house that was for two children on their orphan program. The house was built close to their school so they would not have far to travel. The idea is to build two more houses so that when the children from the orphan program reach grade 5 they will be able to stay in these houses and live with an elderly woman until they are finished school and are able to return home.

Our first house was Mibia and Francisco who instantly recognized Nat and I.

Mibia is removing her cloth window covering and is anxious for her new window!

How many hands does it take?

As you can see there is a young man in the mix who wants to learn a few things!

Nat had many eager helpers just waiting for an order.

We came back the next day to fix one of the widows that was made too small and we noticed that it didn’t take long for this window to be personalized with graffiti!

Like I said, my job was photo shooting!

Nat took some time out to play a little soccer with one of the boys.

Most of the children on the orphan program will be moving from little wood shacks like this one into a nice brick house. The bricks are then covered with plaster for a smooth finished look.

Africa at last!

2009-02-27T07:21:00.003-07:00

Hello dear friends and family.

We have arrived in Africa safely and we LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!! We are enjoying seeing old friends and making some new ones as well! We have seen some cool things that we would love to share with you but unfortunately we don’t have our cable to transfer photos to the computer. I guess the air lines liked our luggage so much they decided to keep it. Now we are trying to track it down between Atlanta Georgia, Dakar in the Republic of Senegal, Johannesburg South Africa and Maputo Mozambique. Challenging? Try doing that with less than adequate cell phone service! Uuummm it feels good to be back in the bush. Nothing like turning a simple task into a week long ordeal.

Well, I promise you as soon as we are able I will get some cutesy photos of the adorable kids I know you are all dieing to see.

Until then, please pray that our luggage comes soon……. For your sake of course!

emergeJUSTICE

2008-11-03T14:12:00.027-07:00

Meet Josh and Sarah! Josh and Nat were room mates in YWAM back in the day. (hahaha, they are so-o old now!) This lovely couple, with two kids in tow, are leading a team of 14 people, which is made up of all ages, on a two month tour called emergeJUSTICE.

awe Honey! The baby thing looks so good on you!

This is little Judah, Josh and Sarah's youngest sweetheart. I wish I had a good photo of Ezabella, Juhah's two year old sister. We had the honor of having these two angels at our house for four days while the team was speaking in the Lancaster area.

I don't know who liked the train tracks more..... me or Judah!

I want to send out a special thanks to the "emergeJUSTICE" team for leaving everything at home and devoting the next two months to living on the road and speaking at various functions, all to raise awareness of the injustices that go on in most countries around the world.

27 million people world wide are victims of modern day slavery forced into prostitution or back breaking labour. Many of these are innocent children who become inslaved to trafficking, debt bondage and other forms of forced labour, forced recruitment for armed conflict, prostitution, pornography and other illicit activities. This underground injustice is a 32 billion dollar industry which also happens to be the fastest growing crime on the planet.

17 million Africans have died since the AIDS epidemic began in the 1970s. 12 million children have been orphaned by AIDS and every 15 seconds another child is added to that number.

There are over 30,000 child solders across the glob. In Colombia, South America the FARC, ELN and AUC force more than 14,000 children to carry weapons or to participate in acts of violence according to Human Rights Watch and the United nations. Many of the rescued children tell stories of being tortured, raped or used as human shields by the illegal armed groups.

The injustices that go on in this world are staggering, yet we can do something to change this world; even if only by a small amount..... it's still worth the effort. Please click here to view the emergeJUSTICE video and also check out Call+Response to find out easy ways to fight for the rights of hurting children across the world. It can be as simple as letting our clothing industry know that we don't approve of child labour and we wont buy their products if they were made through the exploitation of a child's innocents.

The Zooks have visitors!

2008-10-28T13:32:00.015-06:00

My MOM!!!!! She come to visit me for her 50th birthday. I'll tell ya what.... it felt like it was MY birthday. Having been best friends with this amazing woman for all my life it was extremely difficult when it came time to move the the US with Nat. She cared for me as a mother, inspired me when I was a teenager, and she has been my comfort and spiritual helper as an adult. So you can imagine that I was THRILLED when mom told me that she was coming to PA the day after her birthday! And to top it off we were meeting in NEW YORK!!! hello!!!! how could ask for anything more?
We had a great time seeing the sights, watching the broadway Grease, and shopping for purses. Honestly purse shopping was our favorite part and it wasn't about getting a new hand bag. It was the process of it all. There was one guy selling bags for $10. To get everyones attention to this amazing bargain he enthusiastically yelled "LOOK, LOOK, LOOK ...$10.. I can hardly believe it myself!"
Along on the trip were my two aunts. This was the nice man who convinced us to by a ticket for a tour bus. It sounded like a great deal since we could us it for 48 hours and there were five different tours we could go on. Plus you can get off at any stop to see the sights and then get back on when you were done. He said the busses come around every ten minutes but what he failed to mention was that if they are full they don't pick you up. After an hour and a half in the cold rain, when our feet were getting cold, and we were running out of stories to keep us entertained, we finally got smart and walked to a different bus stop; along the way passing five other city bus tour workers trying to sell us tickets we already had! At this bus stop most the people were at the end of their tour so there was LOTS of room!

We got free ponchos to keep us dry from the rain on the top level of the bus. It reminded me of the days Nat and I would catch the shoppa into town in Mozambique. Cold and wet! and the open air breeze didn't help much. Luckily the sun came out and we were happy to have the best seats in the house for photos!

Mom and I got caught up in the New York moment! Look aunty Helen! there is the olive garden! When the four of us couldn't agree on what direction a store was that we were at the day before I would try to remember where it was in connection to the olive garden. For some reason we were always passing it and I thought I could remember but my tactic never worked.... all it got me were jokes from the girls every time we pasted it. I may be hearing "hey look Salena, there's the Olive Garden!" for the next few years.

Now isn't that the cutest thing you have ever seen!!!! Now back in PA, I was taking mom around to show her the sights of Lancaster County. Usually you see a normal sized horse carrying a gray buggy. (see four photo's down) but on our way home from the beautiful town of Intercourse (ya, I said that right) we saw four large working horses pulling some large machinery. We passed it too fast so I told mom this was worth chasing down since you don't see these horses as often due to their effectiveness in the fields rather than the easier job of transporting people. So that's what we did. We passed him and took photo's. The horses were so beautiful. It was an amazing sight to see. I know I am teasing you with the image and not showing a photo but that is because I regrettably lost that photo. I have no idea how!! Anyway, we were satisfied with our day when all the sudden I noticed these two young lads with a pony!!! This was my first time spotting anyone traveling in this fashion. So, there we went, chasing down photo's again!
You can't come to the Zook house and not play a game of Settlers, which is kind of like Monopoly but way cooler! Mom won the first game.... beginners luck....

I think mom is hooked cause she was asking me if they had an on line game when she got home. Hopefully we will be playing it around the Parkhouse table in the next few months!!!!

I also had my dear sweet grandma come to visit..... and we made BUNS!!!!! hahaha.... most the cousins wrote me on facebook and were just a little jealous. I think I may need a little practice; my hands were way stickier than grandmas and we had the same recipe in our hands. Must just be a grandma's touch!
Grandma Jean, my grandma's sister, was also along on the trip. We had lunch aboard the train that ran from Strasburg.
I think Grandma's favorite part of the trip was getting to ride in a buggy! Nat's has some family from his mothers side who are Amish and she was trilled to have us over for some scrumptious spaghetti soup she had just made and canned! It may sound strange but it was some great tasting soup! Before lunch we watched as aunt Malinda saddled up the horse. Next thing you know Grandma Jean is getting her hand in there and even showing Malinda that she did something backwards!! ( this is hilarious to those who know Grandma Jean) Malinda laughed and said " I think we could use you around here!" Then both grandma's helped hook up the buggy :) ....... hhhmmm, I wonder if they have done this before?

I just LOVE how young these two sisters are; they crammed themselves into the back seat and each took a child in their laps! (Nat's sister Karen was along with her four year old son and three foster children) I hope I am still kick'n it as energetically as these two hip ladies when I reach their glorious age!

So Malinda and I each took a kid as well and we were off. Our short trip around the block which happened to be about four miles wasn't as quick as I am used to. But much more peaceful.

Not too old for air-soft...... yet!

2008-09-05T15:16:00.005-06:00

Last month we celebrated Nat's 30th birthday with some food, cake, and great fellowship! not to mention a highly intense, blood pumping, sweat drenching game of air-soft in the wooded back yard of Ken and Karen's. unfortunately for the better part of the afternoon i was in the house preparing the last of the food arrangements but i did join in the fun for the last game.... hehe, just in time to creep through the woods and pelt my husband in the back! but its quite all right since he got me back this weekend in Ohio when we began a night time war on the field of mom and big sis's front yard! that shot to the knee hurt pretty bad, babe, but not as bad as the bruise i got from slipping on the wet grass trying to escape fire from the enemy! Air-soft seems to have become a favorite sport in the Zook family........ some how we tend to bond over causing each other to wile and bleed!
thanks to Nora's help it took only one hour or so to decorate Nat's cake instead the three it probably would have taken me to do it by myself. while Nat was distracted with guns Nora and i assembled Nat's cake in the form of an airplane. in case you haven't noticed yet, Nat has acquired a love for remote controlled airplanes. and it has also always been one of his dreams to get his pilots license.
after over an hours worth of work i am finally putting on the final touches. that is not the look of concentration on my face, it is me trying to figure out why i thought this was a good idea :P
Nora and i watched with sadness as Nat cut out what was, in his words, "the best part of the plane".... the cockpit! it took two seconds to destroy what took hours to create. i guess its all o.k when it's done in the name of love!!!

2008-07-23T09:52:00.022-06:00

top: Sincere (age one)

left: Geo (age three)

left: Angel (age two)

are this not the cutest trio you have ever seen!! Nat's sister, Karen and her husband Ken, just became foster parents to these three darlings and since they have a son of their own their quiet little family turned into four uncontrollably rambunctious BOYS all under the age of 4!! you can imagine with one child just learning to walk and wanting to touch everything he is not supposed to touch, two children still in dippers, an independent older brother learning new house rules and a four year old suddenly having to lear to share his time with mom and dad, that this household can sometimes feel more like a mini war zone. with my spare time i have committed to helping Karen twice times a week and i love every minute of it. who wouldn't want to hang out with these sweethearts!

Nat has been working with Mark on an addition for a guy who wanted to build a pool house for his grandchildren. (must be nice!) with the scorching heat temperature out here i wish i had a pool to lounge in. luckily we have a few generous friends who have offered the use of their pools. tomorrow i am taking Donovan ( Karen and Ken's son in above photo) to Larry and Nora's house to swim. Larry and Nora's daughter is married to Nat's younger brother Nadon...... are you still with me? Larry and Nora are close to the Zook family and we have spent some great times with them. Also Marks parent have a pool and have so kindly aloud us to use it.

so i'm sure most of you heard that we found a place to rent. it took about a month and a half of searching high and low to find the right place and boy do we feel like we hit the jackpot! it doesn't have the nicest appliances or the newest cabintry but we love it just the same. with two spacious bedrooms, one car garage, a large kitchen and living room, walk-in-closet and air conditioning!!! who could ask for more? o.k maybe we could ask for just a few things since this is literally all we owned at the time of our move in date!

But with some with the help of generous friends, some good sales, and plenty of yard sales we had this place furnished in less than a month!

i think Andrea is happy with me now!!

Home sweet home

2008-05-13T10:29:00.005-06:00

we returned to Leola, PA to find that our kind friends had added a few accessories to our home! as well as a few hidden traps. lets see...... there was the cup of confetti that covered our bathroom sink when we opened the medicine cabinet, the toy mouse that shot out the microwave when the door was opened (my new nephew confessed this little trick while we were chatting on the phone.... i reassembled the contraption for my husband to discover!), more confetti was found in my oven mitts one morning while i was baking cookies, and lets not forget our new found friend who took over our bed. move over balloon lady.... there's a new Queen Bee in this hive! actually, she can keep the bed nat, i don't think we are going to fit.

nat and mark putting in new widows at the Fisher's new home. mark and marry have ripped this old house from post to post and are transferring it into a modern humble abode!
i couldn't help join in on the remodeling fun! i worked hard with absolutely no goofing off.(right marry?) gotta meet marks professional expectations...... he may offer me a job some day! imagine..... a girl working in construction in the little town of Leola, Pennsylvania!
i can honestly say that my husband knows the way to my heart! for a weekend get-a-way, nat took me to Hershey, PA to visit the chocolate factory where they make the famous...... you guessed it! HERSHEY CHOCOLATE!! it was a sweet, sweet weekend!
we road in a cart that led us through the warehouse to see the production line of how hershey's products are made. it didn't take long for us to conclude that the machines and the chocolatie goodness they were producing were all simply models to show how the REAL factory looks. they even had the smarts to pump chocolate scents into the air! almost had me fooled.
after the tour we headed into the purchasing department! look at all the choices....... how is a girl to decide?
couldn't go to Chocolate world without see the 3D show on the history of Milton Hershey..... or rather the history show that was really a bunch of singing candy bars that threw chocolate kiss's right in front of your nose. i just had to join the other kids grabbing at the air in front of them just to see if maybe.... just maybe the hershey kiss's in front of me were real. no such luck. very cool effects but i wasn't so crazy about the wind shooting chair in front of me that made it feel like there were mice running past my legs. especially since my 3D glasses were giving me the visual to go along with it!

well i guess i will sign off now. hope you are all doing well, and please don't think i have forgotten about the wedding and all of you who came. thank you cards ARE on there way! we should be getting our printer in the next few days.

we are still looking for a place to live but are confidant that the search is nearing to an end. then it will start to feel like home!

ADVENTURE IN JAMAICA

2008-03-25T17:19:00.009-06:00

O Ya time for some zip line!
If you listen close enough you can hear her still screaming.

Getting ready for a short snorkel run!
The last and final adventure in Jamaica. What a trip!

2008-03-20T09:20:00.009-06:00

We are leaving on a jet plane......

Salena sleeping at our layover in Atlanta.

Right after a nice massage.... i think Nat is almost sleeping!

Check that beach view out! We are loving the relaxing moments

Having a wonderful dinner by the beach!

ZOOK WEDDING

2008-03-20T08:51:00.013-06:00

Nat's favorite moment

What a hot looking family!

Picture time! who is the cutest!!!!!

Well done cake maker... we loved the cake!

Salena going all out!

She Said Yes!

2008-02-13T12:01:00.004-07:00

NAT: It all started with a lie. I wanted to get away for a Saturday morning so I could buy Salena an engagement ring but didn't want her to know what I was up to so I told Salena I was working work for half the day with Mark. I didn't really need to work but Mark did need to do a short job in the morning so I went for breakfast with my good friend Matt who flew in the day before to visit awhile. When Mark finished the job the three of us headed out to go ring shopping. It was getting close to noon and we were running out of time. Knowing Salena would be expecting me to be home I needed to come up with something fast. Matt decided to call Salena and make it sound like he wanted to take me out after work to catch up. She fell for it..hook, line and sinker. We were cleared for the rest of the afternoon. Since Mark is a pilot, we schemed on ways we could take Salena flying and have her read " marry me?" down on the earth below. After ruling out spray paint, digging up the earth, and aligning rocks I finally came up with an idea I was more than happy with. Christmas lights lit up at night would be the perfect way to pop the question. Now i just needed to purchase the lights and find a field big enough to do the job. Once I had the lights I headed over to the farm I grew up to ask if I could use their field. They were more than willing so I set to work with the help of my brother Nadon and Mark.

Not having any idea if it was going to be visible from the plane I took a step of faith and Mark, his wife, Salena and I took of in the plane a few hours later. When we were finally soring over the farm I was amazed to see how clear each letter was!

To make sure she was registering that those words writen in the dark of the night were for her. I asked her to tell me what the words said.........i will let her continue the story.

SALENA: as you know already i was totally oblivious to what was going on behind the scenes as Nat was was purchasing all the props for our engagement. Nat told me later that he was terribly nervous as we prepared to take off in Marks plane, which only tells me that his acting skills are exceptionally good because to me his composer was no different than any other day. we were just going for a plane ride with his good friends since Mark was so-o excited to fly...ya right! i think there was someone else who was a little more excited. we took off and had a little tour of the towns surrounding us. Nat kept commenting to everyone how well you could see the Christmas lights on the houses and i had to agree; the scene was breath taking. Nat then asked mark if they could fly over the old farm. since mark and Nat grew up together on that farm it didn't seem too strange that they would want to see it; although, i did wonder how they were going to see anything with it being so dark. when Mark saw the lights they set up for me he pointed out the window and said "look at those lights". I clearly remembering reading the words carefully and thinking...."oh, someone is being proposed to tonight" I looked away for a short moment and then focused again on the lights that spelled "MARRY ME". (someone here is still a little clueless) Nat, wanting to make sure it was registering, leaned over my shoulder and asked "what does it say! what does it say!" the neurons in my brain must have jolted awake as I tried to conclude why Nat would want me to read out what he could see for himself. (shes starting to get it now folks!) as the words rolled off my lips reality had truly sunk in. I whirled around to see Nat on one knee....yes, in the plane..... with a dozen roses and a ring! I was FLOORED!!!! after circling the farm a few times to get a good look at Nat, Mark, and Nadon's master piece we headed back to the airport and stopped right in front of the restaurant Nat had made reservations for. the wonderful meal was hardly touched as this teary eyed bride-to-be called her family to share the good news.

Wedding gift ideas

2008-02-06T19:50:00.003-07:00

Your presence at the wedding is a gift in itself and having you share this special moment with us means more than any gift could.

however; for those who will not except this escape from traditional obligation here are a few ideas.

1) Our plan is to move to the USA for one year, after we are married and we will be travelling with light suitcases only. also, due to the fact we are already established and predict a life of traveling together, a monitory gift will be greatly appreciated.

2) Share with our friends and family a special photo or story during the wedding

Correspond with our Master of Ceremony's to share a story. taz69devil69@hotmail.com

Email Travis at themast3r7@gmail.com add a photo to our slide show. it may be a good idea to add an explanation to the photo to utilize Travis's creativity. all photos should be sent a least two weeks before the wedding date.

3) Give a monitory gift towards our future plans to serve in missions. We have created a savings account in order to commit ourselves to the giving of the less fortunate in Africa.

TD Canada Trust

Branch # 0205

Account # 6408714

Mozambique

2008-02-06T15:25:00.001-07:00

OUR FIRST TIME GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER ON A TAXI RIDE INTO TOWN.

SALENA PLAYING WITH A CUTE BABY

NAT HELPING TO DELIVER FOOD TO THE NEEDY

SALENA HELPING THE SCHOOL CHILDREN

SOME OF OUR GOOD FRIENDS AT THE DAM

SALENA AFTER GETING HER HAIR BRAIDED

OUR FIRST DATE AT THE MANICA DAM

THE BIKE RIDE THAT NEVER ENDED

NICE WEATHER FOR THE FIRST FEW HOURS

EATING AT ONE OF OUR FAVORITE SPOTS

HAVING FUN IN TOWN

OUR FAREWELL SUPER BEFORE COMING HOME

THE BEGINNING STAGES OF OUR 2 WEEK JOURNEY HOME

WITH A GOOD FRIEND IN MAPUTO THE CAPITAL OF MOZAMBIQUE

SALENA HAVING FUN WITH THE LOCAL DRINK

SPENDING 3 DAYS IN KRUGER WILDLIFE PARK

MORE TRAVELING ON THE BUSS

OUTSIDE LONDON AIRPORT, ALMOST HOME

Wedding Details

2008-01-11T10:12:00.003-07:00

Woo hoo......we have a location folks!!!

Ceremony will be held 1:00pm at

Rocky Mountian Calvary Chapel
8241 31 Street S.E
Calgary, AB

Directions from Radisson Hotel to Church

1: Turn Right out of Radisson onto 16 Ave. (0.7 miles)

2: Turn Left onto (Hwy 2) Deerfoot Tr. South to Fort Macleod. (3.5 miles)

3: Take the Peigan Tr. East / Barlow Tr. South exit 251 (0.6 miles)

4: Ramp becomes Barlow Trl. SE (2.7 miles)

5: Turn Right onto Glenmore Trl. (0.1 miles)

6: First Right onto 31 St.

7: Immediate Left into Church parking / more parking continue on 31St. (0.1 miles) on Left.

Reception Dinner will be held 4:30pm at

Radisson Hotel (Calgary)
2120 16th Avenue N.E

Directions from the Church to the Radisson

1: turn right onto 31st towards Glenmore Tr. (less than a block)
2: turn right on Glenmore Tr. (2.1 miles)
3: take the Deerfoot Tr. - Hyway 2 exit (0.1 miles)
4: merge right onto Deerfoot Tr. - (Hwy 2) NORTH (5.8 miles)
5: take the 16th Ave - Hyway 1 (exit 258) (0.4 miles)
6: turn right on 16th Ave (Hyw 1) East towards Medican Hat (0.6 miles)
7: turn left at the first set of lights on 19st
8: make an imediate right turn BEFORE the Shell Station
9 Radisson Hotel is at the end of the road!

How We Met

2008-01-11T08:02:00.001-07:00

well would you believe that a well traveled, missionary boy from Pennsylvania, USA met a city, career driven girl on the romantic planes of Mozambique, Africa!

Nat, who has spent the last seven years working with YWAM leading teams and equipping people who have a heart to help fight against the pandemic of poverty in third world countries, received an opportunity to settle in Mozambique. as Nat spent the next two and a half years serving in Moz his love for the African people grew and he knew he wanted to spend more of his life investing in the improvement of this country that has been devastated by over 15 years of war.

though Nat was happy and content living the adventurous life of a missionary he always wondered how he would meet that special someone when spending so much time away from his own culture. in April of 2007 Nat found the girl of his dreams...........in Africa!

Salena, who had spent the last six years building her career as a hairstylist decided that she wanted to finally fulfill her life long dream of going on a mission trip. she gave up six months of time with close family and serving her personal clients at her much loved job. travelling alone, she arrived in Mozambique anxious for what the next few months where going to reveal. though leaving home was difficult it didn't take long for Salena to see that Mozambique was a place she could call home.

Three weeks after her arrival Nat returned to Africa, from visiting family in the USA. it didn't take long for these two love birds to realize they were meant for each other!

2007-12-26T09:11:00.000-07:00